The BJP will organise â€˜long march to Dhakaâ€™ on Monday next to protest alleged atrocities on religious minorities in Bangladesh. The party has raised five-point demands to ensure safety and defend rights of minority groups in the neighbouring country.

BJPâ€™s Tripura state president Sunil Dasgupta informed on Saturday that hundreds of party workers and supporters would try to breach border at Akhaura in Agartala on March 18. He said central leaders of the party have approved the agitation programme.

â€œWe know we would be prevented at the border, but we cannot remain silent given unending atrocities on minorities specially Hindus in Bangladeshâ€, Mr. Dasgupta stated.

He gave a detail account of attacks on minority communities and their places of worship across Bangladesh. â€œThe Hindus in Bangladesh have no security and vulnerable to assaultsâ€, he said.

The BJP raised the issue in Lok Sabha and demanded intervention of central government to protect Bangladeshi Hindus.

Minorities had counted 46 per cent in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, at time of partition in 1947 and the figure reduced to 28 per cent in 1970. Hindus now count 10 per cent.

Mr. Dasgupta lambasted major parties like Congress and CPI (M) for keeping a blind eye on the volatile situation in Bangladesh.

BJP demanded stringent action against culprits responsible for atrocities, security and safety of people from minority groups, a separate ministry to look after welfare of minorities, compensation to affected people, reconstruction and protection of religious places in Bangladesh.

Riots erupted in Udgir city yesterday (16th march 2013) when Muslims tried to hoist the green Islamic flag over the fort of Udgir (which was won over by Marathas in 1760 after battle of udgir). They removed the saffron flag which has been there on fort since 1760 and replaced it with green flag. When Hindus protested, in preplanned manner Muslims rioted in the city. They attacked Police-station first and assaulted police officers. Police arrested 100 Muslims and 8 Hindus for rioting.

On 14th and 15th of March, Muslims had organized an Ijtema (A congregation typically organized by Tablighi Jamaat) in udgir and abour 150,000 to 200,000 Muslims had gathered in town. The fort encloses a Samadhi of a Hindu saint "Udaagir Baba" (local Hindus hold this shrine in high regards) was desecrated by hoisting green flags here. Hindus have appealed the government to act else they will start fasting.

Hindus tried to put back the saffron flag on fort and on the samadhi shrine but Muslim mobs did not allow them and police tried to stop and maintain status-quo by firing tear-gas, but nothing really stopped them.